Form panel by June 4 to tackle student issues: Madras High Court directs Tamil Nadu government

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the State government to constitute a committee headed by the Director of School Education, with the respective District Chief Educational Officers, renowned academicians and psychiatrists as members, to assess the psychological issues faced by school students and to identify the same.If the committee is not formed by June 4, the School Education Secretary and the Director and  District Educational Officer should appear before the Madurai Bench of the court on June 5, Justice M V Muralidharan said on Wednesday.

Originally, while allowing a writ petition from G Kanakaraj, who was working as PG Assistant teacher in Chemistry in Corporation Girls Higher Secondary School on Pulla Avenue at Shenoy Nagar, the judge on December 21, 2017, had directed the government to form the panel. The charge against the teacher was that he had abused and beaten up a student. 

The judge then set aside an order passed in November 2011, which stopped the teacher’s increments for three consecutive years. The judge also stated that upon identifying the issues and problems faced by school students, counselling and orientation programme should be given to all teachers and students throughout the State. The teachers should be appropriately advised and instructed how to effectively handle children. The headmaster/head of the particular school should maintain periodic reports of counselling or orientation programme and appropriate remedial action should be taken to address student grievances. 

When the matter came up on Wednesday, the government advocate sought more time to comply with the directives. The judge granted time till June 4. If there is any failure to do so, the officers should appear before the judge on June 5  at the Madurai Bench, where he will be sitting, the judge added.